Big Ben Helps the Town - Amazon S3

Level F/10

Big Ben Helps the Town

Teacher’s Guide THEME: Addition and Subtraction

For students reading at Literacy ••The Mail Comes to Main Street (F/10)
Level F/10, including: ••Big Ben Helps the Town (F/10)
••How Many Muffins? (H/14)
•• English-language learners ••The Farm Stand Mystery (H/14)
•• Students reading below grade level
•• First grade readers GENRE/SUMMARY:

Skills & Strategies In this tall tale, a very big boy named Ben helps
Anchor Comprehension the town by taking away logs jamming the river.
Strategies
•• Analyze Character
•• Distinguish and Evaluate Fact

and Opinion

Metacognitive Strategy

•• Visualize

Genre Study

•• Recognize the characteristics of a tall tale
•• Determine the story’s message

Vocabulary

•• Recognize high-frequency words
•• D evelop academic content (Tier Three)

vocabulary
•• Develop robust (Tier Two) oral vocabulary

Word Study

•• Use plurals

Language

•• Recognize sentence structures: ___ took
away ___ . and The ___ had ___ .

•• Identify irregular past tense verbs

Phonics

•• Problem solve by searching all the way
through words

•• Recognize words with CVCe long i

Fluency

•• Read exclamation points

Writing

•• Write to a picture prompt
•• Write to a text prompt

Benchmark Education Company

Before Reading

Related Resources I think . . . I find out . . .
baby is so big his parents
The following Benchmark Education cannot carry him
Company resources support the skills boy helps his parents
and strategies taught in this lesson.
Introduce the Book
Early Explorers Partner
• Preview Cover and Title Page Give each
• The Mail Comes to Main Street student a copy of the book. Point to the front.
(Nonfiction, Level F/10) Say: This story is about a very big boy who helps
people. Read the title and author, and ask students
Fluency and Language Development to echo-read. Invite them to tell what they see in
the illustration. Repeat the process with the title
• Big Ben Helps the Town Audio CD page. Say: The cover and title page get us ready
to read the book. Using the think-aloud strategy,
Text-Dependent Comprehension model how to make predictions about the book
Resources based on the cover and title page information: The
title says “Big Ben helps the town.” I see a big boy
• B ig Ben Helps the Town and a town in the illustration. I think a boy named
Comprehension Question Card Ben will use his size to help the people in his town.
Allow time for students to share their own
• Power Tool Flip Chart for Teachers predictions about the story.

• Student Bookmark • Introduce Characters and Setting Say: The
people in the story are called characters. Ask
Assessment students to turn to pages 2 and 3, and point to
each character as you read the matching name.
• Early Explorers Overview & Assessment Repeat the process, inviting students to echo-read.
Handbook Then say: The setting is where the story takes
place. What is the setting of this story? Help
• G rade 1 Comprehension Strategy students use the illustrations to determine that the
Assessment Book story takes place outdoors and in a small town.

Make Connections • Preview Illustrations and Vocabulary Revisit
the illustrations on the cover and title page. Say:
and Build Background The pictures in fiction books are called illustrations.
Illustrations help us understand the words in the
• U se Drama Say: We will read a book called book. Take students on a picture walk, emphasizing
Big Ben Helps the Town. The boy in the story is the words crib, deer, plants, pond, river, wagon,
taller than a tree. The boy likes to help people. took away, count, baby, bags, garden, trees,
I will pretend that I am taller than a tree. I will and logs as you talk about the illustrations and
help some children. The children’s ball landed what is happening in the story. Make sure students
on the roof of their house. I will get the ball for can pronounce each vocabulary word.
them. Pretend to do so. Then invite students to
tell ways they would help people if they were
taller than a tree. Encourage them to act out
their ideas as well.

• U se a Graphic Organizer Draw a three-column
prediction chart on the board. Write the headings
I think . . . and I find out . . . above the second
and third columns. In the first column write the
entries baby and boy. Ask: What might happen
when a baby is as big as his parents? What might
happen when the baby grows into a boy? Write
students’ ideas in the I think . . . column of the
prediction chart. Then read each idea, prefacing
it with the phrase I think the (baby/boy) will . . .
and ask students to echo-read.

2 Copyright © 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC. All rights reserved. Teachers may © 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
photocopy the reproducible pages for classroom use. No other part of the guide may be
reproduced or transmitted in whole or in part in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system,
without permission in writing from the publisher.
ISBN: 978-1-4108-6155-9

Big Ben Helps the Town

During Reading

• Preview Sentence Structures For students Observe and Prompt
who need additional support, write _____ took
away _____ on the board. Read the sentence Reading Strategies
structure aloud and ask students to repeat it
several times. Say: The words took away are in • After the supportive introduction, students should
the book. Page 5 has a sentence with the words be able to read all or most of the book on their
took away. Model how to frame the sentence own. Observe students as they read. Take note
between two fingers. Then read the sentence of the graphophonic, syntactic, and semantic
aloud and ask students to echo-read. Invite cues they use to make sense of the text and self-
them to turn to page 7. Ask: Can you frame a correct. Prompt individual students who have
sentence with the words took away? Assist as difficulty problem solving independently, but be
needed, and then read the sentence aloud and careful not to prompt English-language learners
ask students to echo-read. If students need too quickly. They may need more time to process
additional practice, allow them to locate and the text as they rely on their first language for
read the sentence structure on pages 9, 11, 14, comprehension.
and 15. Finally, repeat the process with The _____
had _____ on pages 5, 13, and 16. Strategic Reading Prompts

• Use Graphophonic Cues Say: Another word Cue Source Prompt Example Page
in this book is side. Say the word side. What
letters do you expect to see after the /s/? Allow Graphophonic Search all the log jam 13
time for students to respond, assisting as needed. way through the
Then ask them to find the word side on page 5. word. Are you
Repeat the process with the word fit on page 7. blending the
Say: Search all the way through a word to help right sounds?
you when you read.
Syntactic You read, “Dad Dad fixed 5
• Scaffold Spanish-Language Speakers Say fix the crib.” Let’s the crib.
the word in. Ask: Does in sound like a word you read this sentence
know in Spanish? (Allow time for students to together and
respond.) The English word in sounds like the make it sound
Spanish word en. In and en mean the same right.
thing. The words look similar, too. Write the
word in on the board and ask students to locate Semantic What do you see seven 11
it on pages 6, 7, 8, and 15 in the book. Then in the picture
point out that the word too on page 5 and the that would make
word to on page 8 sound like the Spanish word sense in this
tu but do not mean the same thing. Finally, sentence?
invite students with other first languages to
share their cognates.

Set a Purpose for Reading

• Direct students’ attention to the prediction chart.
Say: Now it’s time to whisper-read the book.
Read to find out what happens when a big baby
grows into a big boy.

© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC Big Ben Helps the Town 3

After Reading

Use the Graphic Reading Strategy Mini-Lesson:

Organizer to Summarize Visualize

• Ask students to think about their reading. Ask: • Reflect Ask students to think about the parts of
What happened when Ben’s parents had a baby the book that were hard for them to understand.
as big as them? What happened when the baby Ask: What did you do to help yourself understand
grew into a boy? Record students’ responses in what you read?
the third column of the prediction chart. Then
choral-read each entry, prefacing it with the • Model Say: I want to make sure I understand
phrase The (baby/boy) . . . Ask students to use what I read. One way is to visualize what I’m
the graphic organizer to tell the story to a partner. reading. To visualize means to make a picture
in my mind. I will turn back to pages 6 and 7. I
I think . . . I find out . . . will shut my eyes. I will imagine being with Ben
baby is so big his parents is too big for his crib and his parents. The road is rough. The wagon
cannot carry him is crowded. Ben’s feet are sticking out of the
takes deer out of wagon. The trip is hard, but the family is happy
boy helps his parents garden, makes a pond to be together. Can you think of other things I
with footprints, carries might see, hear, or feel? Allow time for students
trees, and carries logs to share their ideas. Say: Visualizing the pages
helped me. Now I better understand how the
family feels about their son.

Genre Study • Guide Ask students to turn to page 8. Read the
page aloud together. Ask: What do you see? Can
• Say: This story is a tall tale. Many tall tales take you imagine planting a garden in a new place?
place when the United States was first being Can you imagine the deer coming to eat the
settled. A tall tale usually has a character who plants? How do you feel? Allow time for students
is a hero or heroine. The character may look to share their visualizations. Then invite them to
different than other people. The character may tell how visualizing the scene helped them better
be able to do things other people cannot do. understand page 8.
Some of the events are so unusual they might
make us laugh. Then ask: What makes Big • Apply Ask students to read their favorite
Ben Helps the Town a tall tale? Guide students page to a partner and then visualize it out loud.
to mention that some of the story events and Observe students as they share their visualizations,
pictures are funny. Big Ben is much larger than providing assistance if needed. See the Early
a real person. He can easily pick up several deer, Explorers Overview & Assessment Handbook
trees, and logs. He can make a pond with his for an observation chart you can use to assess
footprints. He is a hero. students’ understanding of the visualize
monitor-reading strategy. Then say: You can
• Say: Tall tales have themes. A theme is like visualize any time you read. Remember to
a message from the author. I notice in Big visualize to help you understand.
Ben Helps the Town that Ben is not like other
people. Ben does not mind being different, Answer Text-Dependent
though. He uses his difference to help others.
How does Ben help others? (saves his mother’s Questions
plants; makes a pond and removes trees;
removes logs jamming a river) Say: The theme • Explain Remind students that they can answer
for Big Ben Helps the Town could be “Use your questions about books they have read. Say:
differences to help others.” The author uses We answer different kinds of questions in
the characters to send readers a message. The different ways. I will help you learn how to
author is telling us to use our differences to answer each kind. Tell students today they will
help others, too. practice answering Prove It! questions. Say:
The answer to a Prove It! question is not stated
in the book. You have to look for clues and
evidence to prove the answer.

4 Big Ben Helps the Town © 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC

• Model Use the second Prove It! question on the • Guide Say: Now let’s find a make-believe part.
Comprehension Question Card. Say: I will show Look on page 5. What happens in the picture
you how I answer a Prove It! question. I will that could not happen in real life? (Allow time
read the question to figure out what to do. The for students to respond, assisting if needed.) Yes,
question says, “What clues show that the log jam baby Ben is bigger than his parents. A baby
was a problem?” This question asks me to make being bigger than his parents is make-believe.
an inference. I know because the question asks Let’s write about Ben’s size in the second column
something that is not explained in the story. I on the graphic organizer.
already know an inference has only one or two
clues. Now I need to look for other important • Apply Ask students to work with a partner to
information in the question. What information identify other real and make-believe parts of the
do you think will help me? (Allow student story. After each partnership shares, agree on how
responses.) Yes, I need to find out why the log to word the entries on the graphic organizer.
jam was a problem. On page 12, I read that the Finally, read the completed graphic organizer
water came into town. On pages 14 and 15, I read aloud and invite students to echo-read.
that the water went down when Ben took away
the logs. I think the log jam was a problem
because it made the water come into town.
I have located the clues I need to answer the
question. The clues support my answer. The
answer makes sense.

• Guide Ask students to answer the other questions
on the Comprehension Question Card. Use the
Power Tool Flip Chart and Student Bookmark to
provide additional modeling as needed. Remind
students to ask themselves: What is the question
asking? How can I find the answer? Does my

answer make sense? How do I know?

Build Comprehension: Teacher Tip Use Benchmark Education Company’s
Comprehension Strategy Assessment books to
Distinguish Real from assess students’ ability to distinguish real from
make-believe in other brief, grade-level texts.
Make-Believe
Home Connection
• Explain Create an overhead transparency of the
“Big Ben Helps the Town” graphic organizer on • Give students the take-home version of Big
page 8, or draw it on the chalkboard. Say: A tall Ben Helps the Town to read to family members.
tale is a kind of fantasy. Certain things in a tall Encourage students to work with a friend or
tale could really happen. Other things in a tall family member to draw a picture of something
tale are make-believe. Good readers distinguish amazing Ben could do because of his size. Invite
what is real from what is make-believe. Both the students to bring their pictures to share with the
real and make-believe parts add to the story. group.
Both parts help us enjoy the story more and
understand it better.

• Model Say: Let’s figure out some real and
make-believe parts of Big Ben Helps the Town.
On page 5, I read that Dad fixed Ben’s crib.
Fixing a crib could really happen. I will write
about fixing the crib in the first column of the
graphic organizer. On page 6, Dad puts six bags
in the wagon. Then he and Mom get into the
wagon. These events could also happen. I will
add these events to the first column as well.

© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC Big Ben Helps the Town 5

Writing Mini-Lessons
Connections
for Differentiating Instruction

Reader Response Phonics: CVCe long “i”

Invite students to respond to the book in a way • Ask students to locate the word life on page 4.
that is meaningful to them. Model and use think- Write life on the board. Explain that often a
alouds as needed to scaffold students before they vowel followed by a consonant and final “e” is
try the activities on their own. long. Cross out the “e” and underline the “i” as
• Think about the theme of the story. Tell about a you say: The letter “e” at the end of the word is
silent. The “e” doesn’t make a sound. It signals a
time you helped someone. long vowel in the middle of the word, though.
• Tell about another tall tale you have read or It makes the “i” say its own name. Slowly draw
your finger under the word as you blend the
heard. sounds. Then ask students to do the same in their
• Tell what you wondered as you read this story. books. Repeat the process with side on page 5
• D raw a picture of yourself helping someone. and five on page 8.

Then write about it. • Ask students to brainstorm words that have the
• Write about a connection you made to the story. long “i” sound. Acknowledge all correct responses,
• Write a question you would like to ask Ben. and record the words that have the CVCe pattern
on index cards. Then spread the cards out in a
Write to a Picture Prompt pocket chart or on a table. Read each word,
inviting students to echo-read.
• Retell Tell students they will tell a small part
of the story in their own words. Then they will • Say: I will say a riddle. Find the word that answers
write down their words. Say: I like the pictures the riddle. Then you may pick up the matching
in this book. I like to choose one and retell that card. Model the process using one of the words,
part of the story in my own words. Look at such as: I have two wheels. People ride on me.
page 5. I can tell about this picture: Ben is a big What am I? (bike) Then invite each student to
baby! Ben’s dad takes off the end of the crib. make up a riddle about one of the words.
Now Ben’s feet hang out. What do you notice
about the picture? How would you retell this Vocabulary
part of the story? Allow time for students to
respond. Ask: Which picture do you like best? • Academic Content Vocabulary Review the
How would you retell that part of the story? story with students and record words that describe
Allow time for students to respond, prompting objects in the story, such as crib, deer, plants,
further if needed. Say: You have retold part of pond, river, wagon, baby, bags, garden,
the story based on the picture you chose. Now trees, and logs. Ask students to draw a picture
write about what happened. After you are that includes at least three of the objects and
finished, read your retelling to a partner. label each one.

Write to a Text Prompt • Robust Oral Vocabulary Say: In the story,
people depend on Ben for help. We trust
• Describe a Setting Say: Think about your someone we depend on. We know the person
favorite setting in the story. Then describe the will do the right thing. Say the word with me:
setting in your own words. When you are depend. Here are some ways people depend
finished, read your description to a partner. on others: Parents trust teachers to help their
children. Teachers know their students will do
their homework. Now, tell about a way you
depend on someone. Try to use the word
depend when you tell about it. You could start
by saying, “I depend on _____ to _____.” (Allow
time for each student to respond, assisting if
needed.) What is the word we’ve been talking
about? Yes—depend. Let’s try to use the word
depend many times today.

6 Big Ben Helps the Town © 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC

Word Study: Plurals • Guide Invite students to read page 6 with you.
Say: The author uses the word grew. Ben got
• Model Say: Authors sometimes use plurals bigger in the past. Babies are getting bigger right
when they write. Plural means “more than one.” now, too. We say that babies _____. (grow)
I see a plural word on page 5: “The crib had four
sides.” The word sides is plural. I can tell because • Apply Ask students to locate and read the
sides has the letter “s” at the end of the word sentence with came on page 12. Then invite them
side. Write the words side and sides on the to use the word and its present tense partner
board. Draw a line under each word as you use come in oral sentences. If more support is needed,
it in a sentence: Open the box on this side. The utilize all or part of the “Guide” process.
box has six sides.
Fluency:
• Guide Invite students to read page 6 with you. Read Exclamation Points
Ask: Which word is plural? (bags) What letter
is added to the word bag to make the plural • Say: Sometimes surprising or exciting things
word bags? (“s”) Write the words bag and happen in stories. The author might show that
bags on the board. Draw a line under each word something is surprising or exciting by using an
as students say it with you. Then invite a exclamation point. Our voices sound different
volunteer to circle the letter “s” on bags. when we are surprised or excited. We talk a bit
faster and our voices move to a higher pitch.
• Apply Ask students to find plurals on pages 8 Good readers say exclamations faster and higher,
(plants), 11 (trees), and 13 (logs). If more too. Saying exclamations faster and higher helps
support is needed, utilize all or part of the the reader show that something unusual is
“Guide” process. happening. It helps the listener understand that
something unusual is happening, too.
Language Development:
• Ask students to turn to page 5. First, read the
Irregular Past Tense Verbs page in a flat voice. Discuss how this makes
listener feel. Then read the page again, saying
• Model Say: Authors often write about events the exclamation more quickly and in a higher
that have already happened. Sometimes we use pitch. Ask students to echo-read.
special words to show that something happened
in the past. Ask students to find the word took • Ask students to turn to page 9. Choral-read the
on page 5. Say: Someone can take the sides off page with them, using a faster and higher voice
a crib right now. In the story, Dad took one side for the exclamation.
off the crib. Taking the side off already happened.
Took is the past tense of take. I can use the • Invite students to take turns rereading Big Ben
words take and took, too. Use pantomime and Helps the Town with a partner. Remind them to
the classroom clock to support the concepts of talk faster and use a higher pitch when they read
past and present as you model sentences such as: a sentence ending in an exclamation point.
At 8:00 this morning I took off my jacket. Now I
take off my watch.
At 9:00 I took a book from my desk. Now I take
a pencil from my desk.
At 10:00 I took a note to the office. Now I take
some letter to the office.

© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC Big Ben Helps the Town 7

NAME DATE

Big Ben Helps the Town

Distinguish Real from Make-Believe

Real Make-Believe

8 Big Ben Helps the Town © 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC

Skills Bank

Build Comprehension

Analyze Character
••Explain  Create an overhead transparency of the graphic

organizer “Big Ben Helps the Town” or draw it on the
board. Say: The people or animals that a story is about are
the characters. When we think about who the characters
are and why they act the way they do, it is called analyzing
characters.
••Model Say: Let’s analyze the characters in Big Ben Helps the
Town. To analyze characters, I need to ask myself whom
this story is about. The author made this easy by creating
a “Meet the Characters” page. Display pages 2 and 3 and
identify the people in the pictures. Say: I see that the
characters in this story are Big Ben, Mom, Dad, the man,
and the people in the town. Big Ben is the main character,
so let’s focus on him. In the center of the Web on the
graphic organizer, write Big Ben. Then say: We know that
we want to analyze Big Ben. That means we tell about who
he is and why he acts the way he does. Let’s start by telling
about who Big Ben is. Take a picture walk through the
story, pointing out Big Ben’s size. Say: I see that Big Ben is
very tall. He is much taller than all the other people. In the
first Web oval, write taller than everyone else.
••Guide Say: Now let’s analyze what Big Ben is like. How do
you think it would feel to be so much taller than everyone
else? (Allow responses.) Yes, I think it would be hard to
be different from everyone else. I think Big Ben is self-
confident because he seems happy to be different. In the
second oval on the graphic organizer, write self-confident.
Then turn to pages 8 and 9 and ask: Do you think Big Ben
is a good son or a bad son? Why? (Allow response.) Yes, I
think Big Ben is a good son because he is very helpful. In
the third Web oval, write helpful.
••Apply  Ask students to work with a partner to analyze Big
Ben throughout the rest of the story. Remind them to think
about who the character is and why he acts the way he
does. After each partnership shares, record their ideas on
the graphic organizer. Finally, read the completed graphic
organizer aloud and invite students to echo-read.

© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC Big Ben Helps the Town 9

Name _______________________________________________________ Date __________________

Big Ben Helps the Town

Analyze Character

Answers will vary. Possible answers:

self-confident

taller than helpful
everyone else

Big Ben

likes parties strong

10 Big Ben Helps the Town the town’s hero

© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC

Notes

© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC 11Big Ben Helps the Town

Notes

12 Big Ben Helps the Town © 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC